Although it has attempted to limit managing the competition of its two drivers as much as possible, McLaren has acknowledged that it is prepared to use team orders at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix if needed to secure the drivers’ championship.
Lando Norris enters the final race weekend of the season with a 12-point advantage over Max Verstappen, and a 16-point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri, as all three drivers remain in the frame for the title. There is a scenario where Verstappen could win the race with Piastri finishing ahead of Norris would enable the Dutchman to win the title over either McLaren driver, and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says team orders would be imposed if required.
“Yes, of course,” Brown told Sky Sports. “We’re realistic. We want to win this drivers’ championship. We’re coming into the weekend knowing that they both have equal opportunity, even though there’s obviously a point spread.
“You don’t know how qualifying is going to go, reliability, but if we get into the race and it’s becoming pretty clear that one has a chance and the other doesn’t, we’re going to do what we can to win the drivers’ championship. It would be crazy not to.
“We’ll kind of see how the race plays out, but we’re not going to not win the championship because we’re trying to protect a third and a fourth or a sixth and a seventh, or however the situation may play out.”
The two drivers were asked about the potential of such a scenario on Thursday, with Norris saying he would love the help if needed but would not ask for it, while Piastri said he’d need to hear about the team’s plans before offering an opinion. Brown believes the relationship between the pair means it’s a request that would be followed.
“It’s a team sport, right? So, we’re trying to win the constructors’ as a team and we’re trying to win the drivers’ as a team,” Brown said. “I know that kind of sounds a bit strange, but if one of them can’t win, they want the other to win. And that’s what the team wants. They are team players – we’ve already seen that last year, right?
“You saw that in the Sprint in Brazil and I think it was Qatar. So, I don’t think it’s unusual in any sport for teammates to make sacrifices for each other to give the team what they want.”
